Spraying is a natural feline behavior. All cats can spray regardless of sex, age, fixed or not, however, the behavior is more common among male cats, especially those that have not been neutered. Unfortunately, the odor of urine is very strong and unpleasant as it contains pheromones. And the odor is stronger from intact males than from those that have already been fixed.
Spraying is different from simple urination. When a cat sprays, he backs up to a wall or any vertical surface, lifts his tail, and spray a small amount of urine into the surface. The tip of the cat’s tail quivers intensely and sometimes the cat appear to be treading.
Urine is a powerful avenue of communication in cats. There is a lot that cats can learn from the urine of another cat-- the cat’s age, sex, and sexual receptivity. Intact male cats engage in the behavior when they are on the lookout for a mate. It is also their way of telling other male cats to keep off their territory. The pheromones in the urine of intact female cats that are in heat is an ad of their sexual availability.
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